Your Love Will Kill Me
by o0oChaoticBeautyo0o
Summary: Can Lust turn to True Desire? Is it possible to turn from Hate to Love? Perhaps...if a certain "Sun God" would stay out of the way! My own version of the movie blended in with other versions of the story. Rated for later chapters! Full summary inside!
1. Prologue  How it Begins

**Author's Note:** Bonjour! Yes I had to take the story down and then re-post it. I had to make some edifications as well as add in some extra content. Change some names around, ages and such. I hope you can forgive me!

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**Full Summary:** The Minister of Justice and archdeacon of Josas and a lowly gypsy girl of Paris. Two very different beings from two very different worlds...and yet have more in common than they believe. Is it possible for lust to turn to true desire and need? Can hate turn into burning love? Perhaps...if a certain Captain would stay out of the way!

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**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to Victor Hugo and Disney! Bénédict, Chrestien, Mikolas and Nuri are my own creations! Aimee belongs to my wonderful sister!

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_Paris, France_

_1468_

It was a bright and sunny day in Paris; bright blue skies, the sun is high, the clouds are puffy and white, and the gentlest breeze blows through the town. It was starting to become late in the afternoon. It seemed like a perfect ending to a perfect day…

"Run Esmeralda! Run!" The gypsy Adela yelled as she pressed her back against the door of her caravan. Young Esmeralda was crouched in a corner of the caravan, her eyes wide with fear and her hands covering her ears.

"But what about you?" She asked with tears in her eyes. All this commotion and chaos was nearly too much for her 6-year old mind to comprehend.

The soldiers on the other side banged against the door and broke it down, sending Adela across the room and towards her frightened daughter. Adela wrapped her arms protectively around Esmeralda to shield her from the oncoming soldiers. Esmeralda was trying hard to understand what was going on. Why where the soldiers after her and her mama? They had done nothing wrong! Most importantly…where was her Papa?

Esmeralda screamed as the soldiers piled in and grabbed them both and started to roughly pull them outside. Adela and Esmeralda fought back as much as they could, struggling and squirming fiercely against their captors as they were dragged outside of the small caravan they used as a shop to sell fabrics and scarves.

Once outside, they were forced to their knees and their arms were twisted painfully behind their back. Esmeralda let out a squeal of pain as they wrenched her and her mother's arm behind their backs. She was near tears now, but fought hard against it. To her side, she could see her mother glaring down at the ground. Adela then turned to her daughter with a small smile, trying to calm her fearful daughter.

"It'll be alright Essie. Just stay strong _chère_." She said in between painful groans.

"Mama…" Esmeralda managed weakly before a soldier smacked her across her face.

"Silence criminal!" he said. The voice was young…hasn't even deepened yet.

"Don't you hurt her!" Adela yelled but was also smacked across the face by a much older soldier.

"Harder Phoebus or they will not adhere to your wishes." An elder voice said.

"Yes father." Replied the one called Phoebus as he nodded to the taller man at his side.

Both women looked up to see the two figures before them. One of them was easily recognized as Captain of the Royal Archers, Bénédict de Châteaupers. He was tall man with a broad chest and shoulders that, to the young girl, looked as if they could crash through rock. His muscled arms were relaxed at his sides; the hand that smacked Adela was now resting on the hilt of his sword. His entire being seemed to reek of a well seasoned soldier. His entire face seemed to tell stories of, what Esmeralda was sure to be, gruesome wars and the evils that mankind was entirely capable of. The bearded face framed by golden hair frightened the devil out of Esmeralda. He was a handsome man yes…but those eyes…

The dark blue orbs staring condescendingly at her and her mother sent shivers down the young girl's spine. They were so sinister and cold like ice that Esmeralda was frozen with absolute fear. What was it her father used to say? Oh yes… "Beware child, for the Devil often wears the face of an Angel". She had no doubt in her mind that this was the Devil right before her very eyes.

His son, on the other hand, still had an innocent face; completely bereft of the hardness in his eyes that his father had. He was a younger version of his father, except his blue eyes were soft and his hair was so gold, whereas his father's was already starting to whiten with age, that when caught by the sun's rays it looked like it was glowing. Despite herself, Esmeralda felt a light blush rise to her cheeks at how attractive the young boy was before her. He couldn't be more than two or three years older than her. She wondered perhaps if they had met under different circumstances, they would be great friends. Perhaps someday develop into something more…

She dashed away those thoughts immediately when he looked at her and a sly smirk crossed his features. That single smirk seemed to mar the beauty of his face and turned him from looking like a gallant prince to a cold-hearted villain. The Devil's spawn…

Captain Bénédict looked to his son with a sort of disappointed frown. Like a teacher berating his student. "In time you will be the Captain of the Royal Archers Phoebus; just as my father was before me and his father before him. You must know these things lest you displease whoever is the Minister of Justice at that time, as well as let your family down."

The young boy seemed ashamed for a split second before a determined look entered his eyes. He held his head high and nodded firmly. "I won't let you down father!"

Adela glared up at them and struggled once more against her captor's grip. "Let us go! We have done nothing wrong!"

The Captain's attention was once again back on the two gypsies on the ground before him. His eyes narrowed in slight irritation as he unsheathed his sword and held the tip of the blade beneath Adela's chin. "You've got quite the mouth on you gypsy…" He lifted her face more so that he could get a better look at her. A small smirk came to his face as he realized how her brown eyes seem to light up like golden flames. "Hmm…and a beautiful one at that." Adela yanked her face away, disgusted by the man's treatment of her.

The Captain laughed as he set his sword down, leaning forward on it slightly. "You have some fire to you gypsy!" After studying the gypsies for a few moments, he turned back to his son and discussed something about the proper way to handle the gypsies.

While the soldiers were distracted, Adela looked down into her low cut dress her eyes widened at what she saw. There, nestled against her breasts and on top of the blue scarf she always carried, was a small blue potion bottle.

"Essie…" she whispered, her eyes glancing towards the soldiers to make sure that they were still distracted. "Be ready to run!"

Esmeralda nodded, doing her best to stay strong just as her mother instructed her to do. She directed her attention back to the two men before her, fear evident in her eyes. Once again those questions ran through her mind. Why was this happening? She and her mother had done nothing wrong!

_Oh Papa…where are you?_ she thought frantically.

"Now!" Adela yelled then yanked the scarf out with her teeth. The bottle fell and smashed to the ground, instantly causing a red cloud of smoke to appear.

The men widened their eyes in shock before coughing as the smoke invaded their noses and mouths. As soon as the captors let go of Esmeralda, Adela grabbed her hand and sprinted down the cobble streets.

Captain Bénédict waved the smoke away from his face and glared angrily as he saw the two girls run away. "After them!" He yelled as he mounted his horse, taking time to make sure that his son was alright first. He mentally cursed himself for making such an amateur mistake. He sneered as he tightened his grip on the reigns of his horse, urging the animal to go faster. "Once I get my hands on that girl, I'll make her wish she hadn't done that."

Esmeralda cried out as a barrage of arrows hurled towards them. They ducked and dodged as best as they could as they urged their legs to move faster. Her little legs could only move so fast and she almost tripped several times, but she always caught herself in time. They could hear the soldiers running after them and both their hearts lurched with fear of being caught again. They knocked down whatever they could to slow down the soldiers. Barrels, stands, food….anything!

Just when they thought they were going to get away, Adela cried out and fell to the ground as an arrow embedded itself deep into her shoulder. Esmeralda's heart froze at the sight of her injured mother and she instantly rushed to her side. "Get up mama! We have to keep going!" She cried frantically. Thankfully, the barrages of barrels and such worked to slow them down, but she knew that it wouldn't hold for long. She could see the soldiers furiously hacking away and tossing the items aside.

Adela managed to get to her feet and walk with Esmeralda towards an abandoned street and hide in the narrow alley way off to the side. She shrank back into the shadows before slowly sliding to the ground, hissing with pain. She was panting heavily and gripping her bleeding shoulder. She looked down to it and gripped the wood; she took a deep breath and then snapped the arrow in half. The elder gypsy cried out softly before tossing the piece of wood to the side. Esmeralda knelt at her side, tears already spilling forth from her eyes. "Mama please…please be alright." She sobbed in between her pants.

"Shhhh….shhh hush now my dear." Her mother said as she brushed back her daughter's black curls. Her arms instantly went around Esmeralda as the young girl threw herself upon her mother's bosom.

"I'm scared mother…what do we do?" Her voice was shaky and had a slight squeak to it.

Adela should've known that it all would've come down to this… just as she also knew that this would most likely be the last time she'd ever see her daughter again. Her time was nearing and she knew that she would soon depart from this world. The fact brought tears to her eyes, but she quickly swallowed her sobs and wiped away the building tears.

She smiled gently, remembering the day Esmeralda was born. She was a small bundle of joy with her own black hair and her father's brilliant green eyes. She sneered at the thought of him. All of this was his fault! She should have seen this coming from the very beginning. Ah, but she was at fault as well. She was a young and a fool. A foolish young woman in love… She held Esmeralda's head to her chest and gently rocked the young girl back and forth. She shut her eyes tight to keep the tears from coming forth yet again. Because of _him_ she would have to part from her daughter. She should've –

Her head suddenly whipped to the side as she heard the soldiers crash through the last of the barrages they had created and their shouts were gradually becoming louder. Now was not the time to think of what could have been. Right now she had to get her daughter to safety. She took a quick moment to compose herself and gently pushed Esmeralda away. Steeling her emotions, she broke off the woven band from her neck and put it into Esmeralda's hands. "You must go on without me."

The young girl shook her head furiously, "No! I won't leave you mama!" Her sobs came heavier now as she saw the blood gush from the wound on her mother's shoulder.

"Please you must go! Find Clopin and his family. Stay with them." Her breathing was becoming shallow and she was starting to become dizzy. She shook her head to clear her vision and focused once again on her daughter. "You must go. I'll be right behind you." She managed a small smile in an attempt to convince her daughter to go.

"You're lying…" Esmeralda choked out as she clutched the woven band to her chest. She sniffed and wiped her tears with the pink scar she wore around her head.

Adela's smile faded, unable to deny the truth. Her brown eyes wandered to the gold cross that Esmeralda wore around her neck. A gift from her father…she reached out and tucked it back into Esmeralda's dress, smearing some of her blood on the front of Esmeralda's dress. She coughed up some blood and didn't bother to wipe it away. "Pr-promise me something Es…Esmeralda."

Her daughter nodded, holding her mother's hand tightly and staring into her eyes. Esmeralda was shaking all over, unable to believe that this moment was happening. Not to her mother…not to her. What had they done to anger God so much? Esmeralda was angry, frustrated and in despair all at the same time. It took a lot of effort for her to listen to her mother's words.

"Never tell anyone of your father; of how he brought you up and what he taught us. Promise me that." Her voice was a mere whisper now. It was her time…but she would not depart from this world without knowing that her daughter would be safe.

"I-I promise mama." Esmeralda choked out, holding her mother's hand to her cheek as she sobbed. She still refused to believe that this was happening. She imagined herself thrashing in her sleep because of this horrible nightmare. Her mother would then come in and wake her, hold her to her bosom and tell her that it was a bad dream. A harmless nightmare…nothing more. But no such luck existed and her heart just about shattered as she heard her mother coughed up even more blood.

Adela smiled, her teeth already slightly stained with crimson. She cupped the side of Esmeralda's face and stroked her cheek with her thumb. "That's a good girl. Now go…and don't stop until you get there."

Esmeralda hugged her mother tightly one last time, squeezing her as she told her over and over again how much she loved her. Adela held her daughter tightly and rocked her back and forth. Unable to take it anymore, her own tears spilled down her face and she sobbed silently. She pulled back and kissed her daughter's forehead, letting her lips linger for a few seconds before lightly pushing Esmeralda away. "Go now little one! Go!"

Esmeralda nodded as she got up and ran as fast as she could towards The Court of Miracles. _I'll come back for you mama._

Adela watched her daughter run away with a sad smile, her hand to her lips to muffle her small sobs as she watched her daughter's figure grow smaller and smaller. She then cast her eyes upward and whispered, "If You are truly there…My one wish for her is for her to have what I did not. A man to love her just as she is." Looking out to the abandoned street, she saw the soldiers already there and frantically searching for her and her daughter. She summoned what strength she could and slowly rose from the ground. She suddenly felt winded and light-headed; she slammed against the side wall trying desperately to gain back her balance. "I'll not let you catch my daughter Chrestien." With those last words she lunged for the first soldier she saw and successfully threw him onto another soldier, commencing to fight them off…just long enough for Esmeralda to escape.

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Esmeralda raced through the catacombs, bursting into the Court in a flurry of skirts. Seeing the large tent in the center, home to The King of the Gypsies, she instantly dashed towards it. "Clopin! Miko! Nuri!" She cried frantically, calling for her friend and his parents.

Clopin looked up from the puppet he was making and smiled when he saw his friend. His short black hair was wrapped up in a light gold scarf, and a single hoop earring hung from his ear. "La Essie!" But that smile quickly faded when he saw the blood on her clothes and her tear-stained face. He paled and quickly got to his feet, running towards his friend. He met Esmeralda halfway and caught her just as she was about to fall. His eyes were wide with worry as he helped support the heaving girl. "Essie what has happened to you?" He didn't like seeing his childhood friend so distraught. Clopin was only two years old when he first saw Esmeralda and since that day he vowed to always protect and watch over her. To see her like this now, he felt a burning shame at having failed to do just that.

He looked around, expecting to find her mother close behind. When he didn't see her, he felt a sudden sense of dread and he shivered slightly. "Where is your mother Essie?" His voice quivered slightly, fearful of what the answer may be.

Aimee, a young orphan girl that Clopin's family found and took in, came out of the tent. She instantly ran up to her friend, her dark blue eyes filled with worry. She was about the same age as Clopin and considered Esmeralda as her little sister. Her long black curls were loose and down past her shoulders, tied loosely by a pink scarf.

"Essie…what's wrong?" She asked as she took one of Esmeralda's hands into her own.

"There's not much time!" Esmeralda managed to say in between breathes. "Where is your father Clopin?"

"I'm right here." Mikolas exited the tent followed by his wife Nuri. Clopin stepped to the side, letting his father take her hands into his. He knelt before the young gypsy girl and Nuri did the same. Mikolas's brown eyes were wide with worry as he gently shushed the girl. His face was long and narrow with a beard around his mouth. His long black hair stopped just below his ears and was slightly curly. Upon looking at his face, Esmeralda remembered somewhere in the back of her mind that she was sure Clopin would look just like him when he grew up and became the next King of the Gypsies.

"Slow down child." Nuri said as she rubbed Esmeralda's back. Her small round face was filled with worry as she looked down to Esmeralda.

"What's wrong? What is it Essie?" Mikolas asked calmly.

"My mama is in trouble! The soldiers have her and she's badly hurt! We have to hurry!" Esmeralda struggled to say in between her heavy breathing. She began to tug on Mikolas's sleeves, pulling him towards the exit.

Nuri's eyes widened and her hands immediately flew to her mouth. "Oh my…"

Gasps of shock and fear were heard from Aimee and Clopin, but Esmeralda had grown deaf to it. All she cared about was getting to her mother in time. Mikolas nodded and stood. "Then we have no time to waste." He looked to his wife and nodded. "Nuri."

"Right." Nuri then dashed back into the tent.

Mikolas looked to Esmeralda with a stern look of determination. "Take us to them."

Esmeralda nodded and dashed off towards the exit of the Court. "We have to hurry! She's been shot with an arrow and bleeding very badly!"

Nuri ran outside of the tent with two swords in hand. As she ran, she turned and pointed to her children with a stern yet worried expression. "You two stay here. We'll come back." As soon as she caught up with her husband and Esmeralda, she tossed the sword to her husband who caught it perfectly.

Clopin opened his mouth to protest, but his parents were already gone. He gritted his teeth, angry and frustrated that there was nothing more that he could do. His hands clenched into angry fists at his side and he fought back the urge to cry at there mere frustration of it all. Aimee, seeing how upset her adopted brother was, took one of his hands into her own and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "They'll be alright Clopin…you'll see." She said in an attempt to calm him down.

All he could do was nod and squeeze Aimee's hand tightly. He stared off where the trio had disappeared to. _Essie…_

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By the time Esmeralda and the leaders of the gypsies were running towards her, Adela had already managed to fight a few soldiers before finally being overpowered. Now she was, once again, thrown onto her knees and her hands were bound behind her by shackles.

The Captain, Phoebus, and now a third man stood before her. Chrestien de Chevalier wasn't a hard man to recognize in a crowd. The sight of his grand robes would immediately let one know that his man was a Member of Parliament and worked closely with the Minister of Justice. His chestnut brown hair was slicked back and his green eyes flamed with anger as he stared down at Adela. His face was twisted with fury and anger and his fists were tightly clenched at his side. Adela looked up at him, remembering a time when his face would smile down at her with love and adoration. How his high cheekbones and slightly rounded face had once made her heart skip a beat. Now it only made her burn with fury.

"Where. Is. She?" He demanded as he backhanded Adela.

The gypsy merely reeled her head back and spat blood in his face with a sneer. "I'll never tell you."

Chrestien jolted back and wiped his cheek with disgust. He glared down at the gypsy, grinding his teeth together in pure rage. However…he knew that she would not give in. He simply nodded to the captain and walked back to his black steed. The captain followed him and whispered quietly, "What of the girl?"

The council member was silent for a while before he smirked. "Leave her…no one would believe her word over mine." He mounted his horse and stared coldly down at Adela. After what seemed like forever, he tore his gaze away and exited the abandoned street and made his way back to The Palace of Justice.

"Understood sir." Captain Bénédict said with a bow. As Chrestien left, he turned with an evil smirk towards Adela. "Phoebus…come here boy. It's time for your first kill."

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Mikolas, Nuri and Esmeralda raced through the streets, eager to find Adela. They skid around each corner all panting heavily and praying inwardly, _Please God…please don't let us be too late._

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Captain Bénédict had gone down on one with knee with Phoebus in between his arms. The young boy was standing before the kneeling and bloody Adela. Bénédict's head was bent low so that he could whisper into his son's ear. "Aim for the heart like I taught you. You want to make sure that it's a perfect kill."

Phoebus had his blade raised with the tip aimed directly at Adela's heart. Sweat covered his brow and his hands were shaking. His father's words were putting a lot of pressure on him, and he didn't want to disappoint him. Not only would he be angry at himself, but his father was sure to beat him for it later. He was only 9 years old…and already he was about to take another person's life.

"What are you waiting for?" His father seethed into the young boy's ear impatiently. "Do it!"

Adela was breathing heavily, her head hung and the blood poured from her mouth and other wounds. She slowly looked up at Phoebus, an empty look in her eyes. "You…" her voice was so weak and so soft, "will never be one of them."

The young boy's eyes flashed with anger and he tightened his grip on the hilt, pulling the sword back and getting ready to strike.

The trio arrived just in time to hear Phoebus say, "Die witch!" and for them to see him drive the blade through Adela's chest.

Mikolas had to clamp his hand over Esmeralda's mouth to muffle her cry of agony. He shut his eyes as the girl quickly turned into his arms and sobbed heavily into his chest. He held her close as her body shook with sobs of pain and anguish….no no no…they were too late! Her mother…her mother was gone! "I'm so sorry Esmeralda…we tried." He said softly, making sure that the surrounding soldiers couldn't hear or see them. He watched with red eyes as Adela gagged and fell the ground in a bloody heap.

Nuri covered her mouth to stifle her sobs as she saw the last breathe draw from her friend's mouth…then the light left her eyes. "Oh Adela…" she sobbed quietly, turning into the alley, unable to stand the sight any longer.

Mikolas sunk back to the shadows, having to carry Esmeralda as he did so. "We have to go…there's nothing we can do now." His voice broke mid-sentence, but he knew that he had to stay strong. Sweeping Esmeralda into his arms, he held her to his chest as they made their way back to The Court…their hearts breaking more and more with each step they took away from their fallen comrade.

For a while Esmeralda was in shock as she was carried away. Her mother was gone…that boy Phoebus had taken her away from her! Why…why why why why….WHY? She looked over her shoulder to see the soldiers starting to disperse and Phoebus was mounting his horse alongside his father who looked very proud.

"Mama…" The word left her lips in a bare whisper before she yelled at the top of her lungs. "MAMA!" She squirmed out of Mikolas's grip and started to run towards the dead body of her mother. "Mama! Mama! Mama!"

"Esmeralda!" Mikolas yelled as he took off after the young girl. This was bad…the soldiers already had heard Esmeralda's cry and was now whipping their heads about, searching for the source of it.

Just as the soldiers were about to spot Esmeralda, she had slid in a puddle and fell face-first onto the ground. The impact knocked the poor girl unconscious and she had a gash on her forehead.

"What was that?" Cried one of the soldiers.

"Spread out! Search the alley! That must've been the daughter! Find her and take her to the Captain!"

Mikolas cursed silently to himself as he scooped up Esmeralda's still body and took off running as fast as he could.

"There they are! Halt gypsies!"

Nuri stopped and knocked over some nearby barrels and sent them rolling towards the soldiers giving chase. "That's for Adela you heartless bastards!" She cried out before catching up with her husband.

The pair was still paranoid that they were being followed and ran through a variety of streets and alleys in hopes of losing any pursuers. Once they believed they were safe, they headed straight for Court.

Once they arrived, Clopin and Aimee jolted up from their seat and Clopin nearly went into a panic attack at the sight of Esmeralda. Nuri calmed her son and adopted daughter down and told them what had happened.

"No!" Aimee cried and immediately ran into her mother's arms, sobbing heavily.

Nuri held Aimee tightly, her own silent tears sliding down her cheeks. Clopin stood there in shock eyes wide and his body shaking. "No…"

Mikolas came back to his family and ran his hand through his hair. "She'll be alright…it's just a small gash. However I don't think she'll remember exactly what happened when she wakes up."

Nuri looked up to her husband and sniffed. "Oh Mikolas…how can we break the young girl's heart again?"

"She has to know Nuri…" he glanced over towards his son and went to him, kneeling before Clopin. "Clopin…we did all we could do. We just….didn't arrive in time. I'm sorry."

Clopin looked towards his father with tears brimming in his eyes. His lower lip trembled and his voice cracked as she spoke, "I could've done more…I should've helped."

Mikolas caught Clopin just as the young boy started to fall forward and erupted into sobs. He hugged his son tightly, rocking the boy back and forth. He choked back his own tears, wanting to stay strong for his grieving family. "Shhh…shh…there was nothing more we could do Clopin. We did all we could."

After several moments of sobbing from both children, Clopin opened his eyes and saw Esmeralda lying down in his parent's cot. He broke away from his father and immediately rushed to Esmeralda. Once at her side, he took her hand in his and squeezed tightly. He sniffed, still crying, and crawled onto the cot beside her.

Aimee rushed over and crawled onto the other side of the cot and took Esmeralda's hand into her own. "Oh Essie…" her words were shaky and the young girl shut her eyes tightly, hoping that when she opened it again this would all be some horrible nightmare. However, she knew it was not and therefore she only curled up to her dear friend's side.

Clopin brought their joined hands up to his face and held hers to his cheek. He squeezed his eyes tightly, his voice shaking as he spoke a promise to her. "I promise you La Essie…from now on and until the day I die, I will protect you. I will never let your heart break again. I promise…I promise…" He opened his eyes once more to gaze at the sleeping face of his friend.

Mikolas and Nuri followed their children and stood before the bed, looking down at them with looks of despair and heartbreak. Mikolas wrapped his arms around Nuri and rested the side of his face on top of her head. He could no longer hold it in, and he let his own tears fall.

Clopin and Aimee, worn out from their crying, soon fell asleep; each of them holding onto Esmeralda's hand tightly.

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**Well that's the updated version! Please leave reviews!**

**I want to know that I'm doing a good job.**


	2. The Gypsies

**Author's Note: Merde! It has been FAR too long since I last updated! Je suis trés desolé! Real life has been interfering and making me EXTREMELY busy! But I'm working on this again and I promise that more updates will be coming! I have not given up on this story! Don't give up on me!**

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**Chapter 1: The Gypsies**

_Summer, 1482_

_17 years later…_

Morning had already begun in Paris and the children could be heard running through the streets, all flocking to a large and colorful caravan located not too far away the grand structure of Notre Dame. As they gathered in the front, they pushed and shoved each other aside to get a good view of the show.

The caravan, as most of Paris knew, belongs to The King of the Gypsies, Clopin Trouillefou. Though none would think so upon first glance of the handsome man; his clothes were bright and colorful with its dark yellow/gold, blue, light burgundy and purple colors; topped off with his large blue hat, a yellow feather on the side and his dark pink mask which covered his face; he looked more like a common jester.

He was eccentric, never seemed to stay still, childish and a bright smile always seemed to be on his face. He was always accompanied by the small puppet on his hand which was a smaller version of himself and made it speak in a higher pitched voice. Because of this, the children simply adored him.

Just as they were settling down, the front window panes of the caravan swung open and two gypsy girls swung out and landed on each side of the caravan. One of them held a tambourine in their hand while the other held a mandolin. The children cheered as the girls began to dance and play their instruments. Their cheers became louder as Clopin came up, his arms outstretched and a large smile on his face. "_Merci mes amies_! Please applaud once again for my little sister Aimee!"

Right on cue, Aimee twirled her way to the front of the children as she danced in time to the bouncy and joyful melody of her mandolin. Her fingers were able to still strum and pick the strings and as her hips swayed, the small red and blue bells that lined the purple trim of her white top and long lavender skirt jingled joyfully along with the tune.

The sleeves of her white top were loose and were hardly ever on her shoulders and it was cut in half, exposing her stomach and leaving very little to the male imagination. She wore a belt that was studded with round blue coins; a wavy design etched into each of them that vaguely resembled the waves of the water. The only pieces of jewelry the young woman wore were the two silver bracelets on one of her wrists.

Her lips were tinged a deep red and she had lined her eyes with black kohl in a way that gave her deep blue eyes an almost cat-like effect. Her hair fell in ebony waves down to her waist, giving her an almost fragile appearance against her lighter skin.

She twirled her hair, giving a wink to a passing young man who instantly blushed at the sight. Aimee twirled her way back to her position and continued to play.

"And for one of my dearest friends, Tatianna!" Clopin said once again as he motioned towards the girl on his left.

Tatianna went for a more dramatic entrance as she front flipped into the front and posed with her arms poised above her head and her tan, red-tinged lips turn up into a confident smirk.

The children and even some people standing by were impressed and smiled at how confident the young woman seemed to be. Others, however, weren't quite as impressed and only regarded the gypsies with cold stares and disgusted sneers. Whether or not their looks affected her, it didn't show and nor did it take the fire and passion in her fluid movements.

She had the hourglass figure as was evident by the gold and black corset she wore around her middle. Her top was an emerald green shirt and the sleeves, like Aimee's, couldn't stay on her shoulders. The skirt of her dress was a dark, burgundy red with gold coins lining the hem of it. The scarf wrapped around her head was the same shade as the skirt and, it too, had gold coins lining it. When the sun hit it just right, it twinkled at all who gazed upon it.

But the twinkle of the gold was nothing in comparison to the fires that seemed to dance in her hazel eyes. It made her black hair seem like shadows or black smoke whipping about behind her.

Her ears adorned two large golden hoops and she wore a diamond shaped sapphire gem on a gold chain around her neck. She danced her way back to her spot as Clopin put his fingers to his lips to silence the children. They did as they were told and he began to sing:

_**Morning in Paris, the city awakes  
To the bells of Notre Dame  
The fisherman fishes, the baker man bakes  
To the bells of Notre Dame**_

The girls joined in with him, their voices matching perfectly with the other. Aimee's alto voice matched perfectly with Clopin's baritone tone and Tatianna's soprano voice.

_**To the big bells as loud as the thunder  
To the little bells soft as a psalm  
And some say the soul of the city's the toll of the bells  
The bells of Notre Dame**_

As the song ended, the girls went through the side doors of the caravan and ducked down to keep out of sight. They set their instruments to the side and prepared the puppets to help Clopin tell his story.

"Listen, they are beautiful, no? So many colors of sounds, so many changing moods." Clopin said as he pulled back a curtain to gaze admiringly up at the grand structure. "But you know," he continued, slowly reaching below with his right hand towards Aimee. She put the miniature puppet version of himself on his hand with a giggle. "They don't ring all by themselves."

"They don't?" He made the puppet say in a squeaky, higher-pitched form of his own voice.

"No silly boy!" He said, talking to his puppet self. Again he turned his attention towards the cathedral, making the puppet look as well. "Up there, high, high in the dark bell tower lives the mysterious bell ringer. Who is this creature?"

"Who?" The puppet asked the children.

"What is he?"

"What?"

"How did he come to be there?"

"How?"

Clopin smacked the puppet on the head with a small wooden stick, looking slightly annoyed." Hush."

The puppet whined and whimpered as he nurtured his head, making the children and even the two gypsies hidden in the caravan laugh.

He rolled his eyes at the puppet and leaned in towards the children, his eyes wide as if he were telling a great secret. "And Clopin will tell you. It is a tale, a tale of a man and a monster!"

Aimee and Tatianna set up the different sceneries and worked the puppets as Clopin sang the tale of the bell ringer. Aimee's eyes saddened at the tale, feeling pity and remorse for the fallen gypsy and the deformed child. She had heard this song so many times, but no matter how many times she heard it, she would always feel the same.

Tatianna, on the other hand, only had hatred in her eyes for the Judge; for the man who so coldly and mercilessly hunted down and murdered her people without so much as blinking. He was blinded by prejudice and was hell bent on wiping out the entirety of her people from their home. Her heart wept and cried out against the injustice of it all. Although, she did smirk when Clopin sang of Frollo's fear for his soul after killing the gypsy mother. _One day,_ she thought to herself, _he will tremble in fear as I hold my blade to his heart._

Clopin was close to wrapping up the story and the girls set down their puppets and picked up their instruments once again. This time they stayed inside the caravan and stood beside Clopin who put his arms around the two women's shoulders. The puppet was positioned to look like it was resting against Aimee's shoulder. Clopin was the first to sing:

_**Now here is a riddle to guess if you can  
Sing the bells of Notre Dame  
Who is the monster and who is the man?**_

Together the three of them swayed back and forth, singing happily and their voices heightening as they prepared for the big finish.

_**Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells,  
Bells, bells, bells, bells  
Bells of Notre Dame!**_

The held out note could now barely be heard over the cheering and clapping of the young children as well as some of the adult bystanders. They ended their note and stretched out their arms, smiling as they took in their acceptance and their pride as performers grew.

Clopin flipped off his hat and held it out for them to drop coins into. He bowed his head each time. "_Merci_! _Merci beaucoup_ everyone!" He closed up the caravan and walked out, a satisfied grin on his face as he stared down at the amount of coins in his hat. "Another job well done everyone!"

Aimee and Tatianna walked on either side of him as they made their way through the streets and back towards their safe haven. Aimee looked to her brother, a curious look on her face as she recalled at how detailed the story was. It had always nagged at her…just how in the world did Clopin know the story of Quasimodo?

"Clopin?"

"Hmmm?" He said in response as he counted the coins, placing them into a small red leather pouch.

"How is it you know the story of the bell ringer?" She asked, leaning in closely in case anyone else was listening.

This caused Tatianna to quirk her eyebrow for she, too, had wondered how her friend knew the story so well.

His lips upturned into a mischievous smirk as he tucked the pouch somewhere away underneath his tunic. "That is for Clopin to know and for _mon petite soeur_ to find out on her own." He laughed and ruffled his sister's hair in an elderly brother way.

Aimee grumbled as she smacked her brother's hand away and fixed her hair with a slightly annoyed look on her face. Of course, this only made Clopin snicker some more and hug his sister to his side. "You know Clopin loves you dearly!"

"Lies and slander big brother…" She said, though couldn't help the small smile that ticked at the corner of her lips.

Tatianna laughed as she watched the siblings quarrel. It never ceased to entertain her…then again, how could one not be entertained whenever Clopin was near? She looked over at Aimee with her arms crossed against her chest. "You should have seen that coming MayMay." She said, using the childhood nick name they had all given her. "You should have just let it be."

Aimee rolled her eyes and looked back to Tatianna. "Is it a crime to be curious? And it's not as if you weren't curious as well TT."

The youngest of the group shrugged, "That is not the point."

Aimee looked to her brother and jabbed him in the chest with her finger. He yelped slightly and put his hand to his chest, but still that smirk remained. "Why won't you answer me?" She poked out her lower lip and huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

He chuckled as he gently patted her cheek. "Because I just love to see you beg for the answer. Little Aimee is so adorable when she does so."

Already the trio was nearing the graveyard where the secret entrance to The Court of Miracles was hidden. Aimee growled and shoved his hat down to cover his eyes. "Cretin!" She leapt in front of him and blew a raspberry in his face before taking off laughing, knowing that he would chase after her.

Tatianna's mouth formed a small "o" and her eyes widened at what Aimee did. She clapped softly, once again finding herself very entertained.

Clopin grunted as he pushed his hat back up and a playful smile lit up his face. "Ooohh you've done it now Aimee! Get back here!" He hollered as he took off after her, easily leaping over bushes and smaller tombstones.

Tatianna quickly ran after them as well, not wanting to be left behind. "Hey! Wait for me!" She laughed happily and stuck her tongue out at Clopin as she ran past him. "You're too slow Cloppy!"

"Oy!" He urged his legs to go faster and growled in slight irritation, but it was instantly trumped by the child-like joy he felt in the chase.

"Hurry hurry!" Aimee said in between her pants and laughter, having already pushed the stone slab part of the way. Tatianna helped pushed it further and the duo descended into the catacombs.

* * *

Esmeralda let out another agitated sigh as she picked up yet another article of clothing from the floor in the large tent she shared with Clopin, Aimee and Tatianna. "For the love of – can't they at least pick up their own clothes from the floor?"

She looked to Djali for a response and her goat companion merely bleated in response. Esmeralda sighed and shook her head with a slight chuckle. "Didn't think so…"

The tent itself was a brilliant gold with purple trims and blue and red stars and crescents decorating it. Upon entering the tent, there is a large area where small tables, tarot cards, crystal balls and other forms of knick knacks laid strewn about. In the center was a medium sized hole that was used to make a fire and surrounding it were large and small plush multi-colored pillows that the four of them, and sometimes others, frequently sat on to sing and talk with one another.

It then branched off into four separate tents, each of them belonging to one of them. In order from left to right, it was Tatianna, Aimee, Clopin and then Esmeralda's. It truly would be quite a wonder to behold…if only the main area wasn't littered with clothes, and open and closed scrolls of parchment and fabric!

As she bent over to pick up some more clothes and scarves, she heard Djali chewing and turned with wide eyes as she realized that she was chewing on a skirt and had already managed to gnaw a hole right through it. "Djali no!" She exclaimed as she yanked it away from the goat's mouth.

Djali bleated with protest and leaped up, trying to get a hold of the fabric yet again. Esmeralda pulled it out of the way and held a stern finger to Djali's face. "You know better! You chew on anymore things around here no food for you missy." She scolded, using her best motherly voice. Djali's ears flattened against her furry head and she trotted off somewhere around the court.

Esmeralda shook her head and couldn't help but giggle when she recognized the skirt to belong to Tatianna. She rolled it up and tossed it into the basket beside her. "Maybe this time she'll think twice about leaving her clothes about."

She crouched down to roll up scrolls of parchment and fabric then tucked them safely under her arm. As she stood to put them away, she heard familiar laughter and squeals heading straight towards her. Her eyes widened as she saw Tatianna and Aimee running straight towards her. Before she could even react, they grabbed her arms and twirled her around in front of them to use as a shield. Esmeralda let out a surprised yelp and the items flew from her hands and back to the ground.

"Protect us Essie!" They exclaimed through their fits of squeals, giggles and panting. Esmeralda didn't even have to ask from whom since Clopin burst in and kept reaching for the two girls.

"Get over here! Clopin will have his revenge!" He cried out with laughter.

The girls kept squealing and moving Esmeralda in front of them, deaf to her protests, and knocked over the basket as well as some of the other things she had put away. She threw up her arms in frustration, "Okay okay enough!"

Clopin was the first to notice the irritated look on Esmeralda's face and immediately stopped. He frowned and backed away slightly, resting his hand on her shoulder. "La Essie? What's wrong?"

She flailed her arms about to the mess they had made. "Other than the fact that you three managed to make this place a horrible mess again, absolutely nothing!" She let out an agitated sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to calm down.

Aimee and Tatianna frowned as they moved in front of her, and all of them felt guilty for what they had done. "We're sorry…we didn't mean to Essie." Aimee said as she bit her lower lip.

She looked up at them, sliding her hand down her face and raised her hand, as if she was going to smack them. The three of them braced for it, but instead of a smack, Essie tugged down Clopin's hat and ruffled Aimee's hair immensely. She laughed at their stunned faces and put her hands to her waist. "Now I feel better."

Clopin frowned at first as he pushed his hat back up, but smiled when he saw Esmeralda smiling at the three of them. "We truly are sorry. We'll clean this up; you have the word of Clopin!"

Aimee pouted as she pointed to Tatianna, "How come she had nothing done to her?"

Esmeralda only smirked and jabbed her thumb towards the crumpled skirt on the ground. Tatianna screamed as she saw it and picked it up, staring at the hole in it. "What happened to it?"

As if on cue, Djali came prancing in with a happy bleat and the other three laughed hard at the perfect timing. Tatianna, on the other hand, wasn't laughing as she took a step towards the goat. "Djali I'm going to get you for this!"

She bleated angrily back at the girl and Esmeralda held her finger to Tatianna's face. "Oh don't blame her! It's your fault for leaving it around the floor knowing full well that a hungry goat lives here as well."

Aimee laughed as she began to pick up her own clothes. "She has a point TT, though I really have no room to talk."

"No you don't so just be silent." Tatianna grumbled, still upset about her skirt.

"Oh you can easily fix that TT. Come; let's help clean up the mess we made." Clopin said, already rolling up the scrolls of fabrics that he used for making his puppets and tucking them away.

After half an hour or so, the living area was clean and organized well enough to satisfy Esmeralda and she nodded with approval. All of them agreed to save their own personal tents for another day. "See? Now was that so hard?" She asked as she plopped down onto the pile of pillows.

"Actually…it was a little fun." Aimee confessed, seating herself beside Esmeralda.

Clopin came out of his tent, his mask and hat now off and his full on features could be seen. He smiled apologetically as he crossed his ankles together and sat down on the ground, his legs crossed. "Sorry to leave you with all the mess Essie."

She waved it off and offered a smiled, "Oh it was nothing. I was bored and had really nothing to do. Besides, someone has to be the responsible one around here."

"Shouldn't our leader be the responsible one?" Aimee asked, stressing "leader" and crossed her arms, casting a meaningful look to Clopin.

Tatianna laughed as she sat down on the opposite side of Esmeralda and leaned back against the pillows. "You are quite right Aimee. But it seems that it is not so. Oh woe to the poor gypsies left in his care." The three girls giggled at that remark as Tatianna mocked a feeling of true pity and despair.

Clopin frowned and feigned hurt, putting his hand to his heart. "Oh how my girls wound my heart!" He cried out over-dramatically and even pretended to sob.

They rolled their eyes at him and he chuckled and brushed off the shoulder of his tunic. "Give me some credit…I had to assume my duties at 15 when Mama and Papa died."

A sad air took over as they gave a moment of silence for the two fallen gypsies. They had fallen ill when Clopin and Aimee where 14, Esmeralda 12 and Tatianna just about to turn 12. The former leaders had fought back as much as they could, but a little more than a year later, they died peacefully in their sleep and thus passing on the title of King of Gypsies to their only son, Clopin.

After a few minutes, Aimee turned to Esmeralda and asked her, "Have you eaten yet?" She wanted this sadness to go away before one of them let loose a tear. It was also very unnerving to see her brother with a sorrowful look on his face. It just about broke her heart when she saw it.

Before the young woman could answer, a loud rumble was heard from her stomach and her cheeks reddened slightly with embarrassment. That seemed to lift the sadness up as they all started to laugh at her. "Does that answer your question?" She asked as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Loud and clear." Tatianna said, happy to feel the sadness slipping away.

Clopin wagged his finger at Esmeralda's face, clicking his tongue against the back of his teeth as he did so. "Now that just simply will not do." He stood to his feet and brushed his hair back. "We will not have our star dancer and finest girl in France starving to death! Clopin will not allow it!" He grabbed her hand and yanked her up to her feet, already ushering her out of the tent with Djali close behind. "We are going to the bakery and I will buy you a good breakfast!"

Esmeralda tried to protest as they walked away, but Clopin would hear none of it. Aimee shook her head with a smile as she slowly stood to her feet. "It's so obvious…why doesn't he just say it already?" She said out loud, giggling slightly.

It was no secret to the two of them, as well as the other gypsies, that Clopin was in love with Esmeralda. It was as plain as the hair on her head! The way he goes out of his way to make her happy, make her smile and how concerned he always seemed to be about her. But the most obvious sign of all was the light in his eyes every time he looked at her. It was as if someone lit a bonfire within them and his entire body seemed to glow.

Tatianna stood and walked to Aimee's side, cocking her hips to the side and crossing her arms as she watched Clopin make his puppet talk and kiss Esmeralda on the cheek. Her eyes narrowed, envious of the attention that Clopin was giving her. She managed a smirk and shrugged. "Because he's Clopin…even he doesn't fully realize it just yet."

Aimee laughed as she watch Esmeralda push the puppet back into his face and seemed to warn him to not do it again. She smiled though, which meant that she was only joking. "Esmeralda hasn't even realized it yet! How do you expect him to?" She said with a laugh.

Now that was a true mystery to the two of them. Esmeralda, as they knew very well, was a very sharp and intelligent woman. She didn't miss much and seemed to always know when someone was trying to sneak up behind her. She had proven that many times in their childhood whenever Aimee had tried to scare her. Evidently, when it came to affairs of the heart, Esmeralda was as blind as a bat. It was so frustrating that sometimes Aimee had fantasized about throwing the two of them into a locked room until he confessed to her how he felt.

To see her brother so in love and for it to not be returned…it made her sad and caused a feeling of extreme uneasiness inside of her.

On several occasions Aimee had asked Clopin how he truly felt about Esmeralda if only to confirm what she already knew; and every time she did she got the same answer. He would merely say that she was a dear friend to him and that was all.

Aimee was not fooled at all by his act. She had grown up with him since they were both roughly about 5 or so years old when his family found her wandering the streets of Paris. She saw the brief glimpse of longing and sorrow in his eyes and heard the slightest tone of sadness in his voice.

Seeing them together, she had to admit that they did look good together. They had been friends since Esmeralda was born and were indeed very close. Esmeralda made him smile like no other person could. As his sister, she was supposed to give him her full support in winning over Esmeralda's heart.

So why then…did the very slight feeling of envy sneak its way into her heart? Her brow furrowed with confusion and she shook that thought away. She reasoned that it was because she was his younger sister and he would dote on her immensely…unless Esmeralda appeared and then all attention went to her. It was only natural for him to do such…yes that was it; a sister's envy that her dear elder brother paid more attention to another woman.

She was about to suggest to Tatianna for them to follow, but stopped short when she saw the desperate look of longing on her friend's face. She put her hand to the girl's shoulder, being only an inch or so taller than Tatianna. "TT?" She asked the question and the concern obvious in her voice.

Tatianna was silent for a while as she watched Esmeralda and Clopin interact. Her grip on her arms tightened and she fought back the urge to tear. She bit her lower lip and let out a shaky sigh. "Aimee…"

"Yes?"

She looked to her friend and what she said made Aimee's eyes widen in shock and surprise. Tatianna's voice was soft, shaky yet was deadly serious. "I want Clopin's heart to belong to me."

It took a moment or two for Aimee to register what was just said, after which she shook her head and asked the first thing that came to her mind. "W-wait…what?"

As Tatianna was about to answer her question, Clopin chose this time to yell at them and waves his arm about. "If you two _mademoiselles_are done, we'd like to eat now!" He said with a mocking annoyed tone in his voice.

Tatianna laughed as she walked towards them, instantly masking her earlier looks before with a large smile. "Oh _je suis tr_ès _desol_è _monsieur_! We thought that you would like to have Essie all to yourself." ending her comment with a giggle.

Without his mask on, the blush that appeared on Clopin's face was much easier to see. He tried to come up with the words to say, but the poor man could only stammer. Tatianna laughed at this as she tapped his nose. "Just kidding!" Her voice was in a sing-song manner, as though she was mocking him; which, of course, she was. She skipped over to Esmeralda and linked arms with her and walked ahead slightly.

"What was that about?" Esmeralda asked as she looked to Clopin who seemed to be glued to his spot.

Tatianna laughed as she waved it off. "Oh nothing. I was just teasing him." And the conversation carried out from then, with Esmeralda not knowing that Tatianna had teased Clopin about his affection for her.

Aimee shook her head and shut Clopin's mouth for him. "That's not very attractive brother." As he grumbled to himself, Aimee noticed that his cheeks were still noticeably red and giggled into the palm of her hand.

"What is so amusing?" He asked her, having to lean his head down a bit to look down at her. The two began to walk slowly, out of hearing distance of Esmeralda and Tatianna.

"You should have seen your face. I do believe a tomato would be envious of the shade of red that appeared." She laughed harder when she saw him turn away from her and curse silently to himself. "Really Clopin you are as transparent as glass. Why don't you just confess your love to Esmeralda already?"

No sooner had the words left her lips did those same conflicting and confusing emotions rise up within Aimee once again. Thankfully, Clopin was too busy gazing at Esmeralda to notice the slight pout in Aimee's lower lip and the look of utter confusion in her deep blue eyes.

"I told you that it was nothing like that Aimee. I love Esmeralda as only a dear friend, nothing more." He said softly, suddenly finding the pavement very interesting.

Aimee snapped out of her thoughts and became so frustrated with Clopin's denial that she smacked him upside the back of his head.

"Ow! What was that for?" He demanded, rubbing the sore spot.

Aimee only groaned and rolled her eyes, "Ooohh….men!" She ran up ahead to catch up with Tatianna and Esmeralda, leaving a very confused and dumbstruck Clopin lagging behind.

"What was that all about?" He asked himself before shrugging it off and catching up with his friends.

* * *

Breakfast at the bakery had been pleasant enough. The smell of freshly baked bread mixed with the sweetness of honey and butter made their stomachs grumble loudly. It had been so long since they had had a decent meal. Their conversation had been light and joyful mixed with the occasional teasing as they sat outside of the bakery. Djali ate the pieces that each of them would give her happily and at one point, even made her do tricks in order to earn them.

The happy atmosphere soon turned hostile, however, when two soldiers had appeared and began to harass the group. Clopin had to reach over and grip Tatianna's wrist at one point to keep her from going for the hidden dagger she had. Clopin, not wanting any unnecessary violence, convinced the group to leave the bakery and head towards the corner where Esmeralda would frequently dance. The walk had helped cool the temper of three of the gypsies…Tatianna had always been the short-tempered one of the group.

"You should've let me fight them Clopin! There were only two of them and I could have easily subdued them!" Her fists were clenched at her side and she couldn't stop pacing back and forth.

"Not without the risk of getting us arrested. You need to learn to control your temper Tatianna. Your recklessness could put us all in danger!" He snapped back, wagging his finger at her like a father would when scolding his child. "The soldiers will act like that and you should know this by now. In fact, you should be used to it."

She stopped pacing and looked to Clopin as she exclaimed, "It isn't right!"

"No it isn't and I don't like it either TT. But unless you want to stand on the pyre, I suggest you listen to Clopin." Aimee said as she ran her fingers through her long hair, as was her habit when agitated or nervous.

"We shouldn't be used to it. We're still human and our blood is red." Esmeralda's eyes narrowed angrily as she set down the worn out purple hat on the ground. "But there's nothing we can do to change that…sadly."

Djali seemed to frown as she nuzzled Esmeralda's hand in an attempt to comfort her. Esmeralda smiled as she ruffled the fur on her head and tapped her nose.

"Well there is one way…" Tatianna said, letting her words trail off, a deviant grin appearing on her face as she did so. "Take out the source."

Immediately the image of the feared and hated Judge Claude Frollo appeared in their minds. Gleams of anger and hatred sparked in their eyes and even sent a shudder down Esmeralda's spine. "Could we please not talk about that monster?"

"Agreed." Aimee said as she sat on the stone bench and tuned the strings of her mandolin.

Djali pranced around the hat and bleated at the remaining three tapping her front hoof on the pavement. Clopin chuckled at the animal's antics and patted her head. "Oh very well then." He sat beside Aimee and picked up the horn and looked expectantly at Esmeralda and Tatianna.

"Come on TT." Esmeralda said as she tossed a spare tambourine to her friend. "Dance with me. It will make you feel better." She shook her own tambourine and tapped it against her hip twice before tapping her barefoot on the ground just as Aimee and Clopin began to play.

Tatianna huffed and crossed her arms, turning away from them as she stubbornly refused to join in the dance. Esmeralda giggled as she danced and twirled around Tatianna, doing her best to coax her into joining the dance. "Don't fight it TT. Just give in!"

And still Tatianna fought, but found herself tapping her foot on the pavement. Aimee laughed, "Oh just give in already! You're only making it hard on yourself."

The comment had a smile tugging at the corner of Tatianna's lips and she rolled her eyes as Esmeralda twirled around her once again, ending it with a soft laugh before finally joining the dance.

"There's a good girl!" Esmeralda said with a laugh as she patted Tatianna on the head.

"I hate all of you right now." She said jokingly, Aimee and Esmeralda laughing along with her.

They performed well into the morning and were happy to see a fair amount of coins in the old hat. They tried not to sneer or frown when parents would pull their children back, afraid that the gypsies would cast a spell on them or rob them blind.

Djali bleated and pranced happily, the clanging of her bell impressively in time with the rhythm and beat of the music. Each time someone donated some coins, she would leap as high as she could to show her gratitude and even perform a back-flip every now and then.

A blonde soldier then appeared, holding the reigns of his white stallion and seemed a bit lost. He was highly impressed by the dancing goat but even more so by the dancing girls and dropped several coins into the hat. He looked up just in time to catch Esmeralda's eye and she gave him a sultry smirk, shaking and tapping her tambourine. His eyes widened and a smile slowly split his face as he watched the gypsy dance.

Tatianna recognized the emotions flitting in the man's blue eyes almost immediately. How could she not? It was one that most men would have when watching Esmeralda dance. Normally it wouldn't bother her, but when she saw the jealousy and irritation in Clopin's eyes it annoyed her quite a bit. Why was it only Esmeralda? She was dancing there as well!

She was about to dance into the man's view, but stopped when a sharp whistle alerted them and the music instantly stopped. The young boy pointed towards approaching soldiers and she sneered when she recognized them to be the ones from the bakery.

Their eyes widened in mild irritation as they hurried to gather their things and go. Clopin and Aimee were the first to get a few feet away, but stopped when they saw that Esmeralda and Tatianna were not beside them.

Djali grabbed the hat and started to take off but stopped short when some of the coins fell. Tatianna and Esmeralda ran back and quickly snatched up as much coins as they could to put back into the hat.

Clopin and Aimee stopped and waited for them, fear gripping their throats. "Hurry!" Aimee pleaded and her eyes widened more as the soldiers stopped before Tatianna and Esmeralda. _Oh no…_

The two girls looked up at the soldiers with eyes of contempt as Esmeralda held the hat close to her chest.

The first guard returned the look as he hauled Esmeralda up by her arm. "Alright gypsy, where did you get the money?" He demanded as he pulled her back against his chest.

"For your information I earned it!" Esmeralda replied angrily as she twisted free of his grip and stood before Tatianna, feeling a need to protect the girl she considered to be her younger sister.

The first guard scoffed and rolled his eyes as he put his fists to his waist. "Gypsies don't earn money." Tatianna felt her temper rise and clenched her fists at her sides while grinding her teeth together. She did her best to listen to Clopin and keep her temper in check, lest they get into further trouble.

"You steal it?" The second guard said as he tried to take the hat away from Esmeralda. Well that did it and Tatianna slammed her fist into the side of his jaw. The guard stumbled back; surprised that she had hit him.

"You'd know a lot about stealing." She said angrily as she glared at the guard who still had his hand to the spot where he was hit.

"Troublemaker!" The first guard yelled as he grabbed Esmeralda's shoulders from behind. She immediately reeled her head back and hit him straight in the nose.

The second guard grabbed Tatianna's wrists in an attempt to restrain her. "Maybe a day in the stocks will teach you a lesson!"

Clopin stepped forward preparing to fight back the guards, but Djali beat him to it. The faithful goat had head butted the second guard in the stomach and kicked the other guard back with her hind legs. Tatianna and Esmeralda looked down at the groaning guards with a smug smirk on their faces before taking off with Clopin and Aimee, Djali following close behind them.

Esmeralda glanced behind her to see if the guards were following, imagine her surprise when she saw the soldier had actually pulled his stallion in front of them and halt them in their path.

"Achilles, sit." The soldier said and the horse sat on the soldier!

"Oh I am so sorry! Naughty horse! Naughty!" He said, wagging his finger at his horse mockingly. "He's impossible really, I can't take him anywhere."

People who had witnessed the event laughed and Esmeralda bit her lower lip, giggling slightly at the sight before taking off to join her friends.

When they felt that they had ran far enough, they slowed to a stop and bent over panting heavily. Esmeralda looked over at Tatianna with a smirk. "Do you feel better now that you were able to punch one?"

Tatianna laughed as she straightened up, smoothing out her skirt and fixing her scarf before finally placing her hand on her waist. "Oh you have no idea."

"That was close…" Clopin panted as he straightened up to smooth out his tunic, his instrument clutched in his other hand.

Aimee smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but jolted at the sound of oncoming soldiers. "Hide!" She whispered fiercely and before she could think, she grabbed Clopin's hand and tugged him into a nearby narrow alley, sinking as far as she can into the shadows. Tatianna dove behind a low food stand and pressed her back against it, curling up her body as best as she could to keep out of sight.

With no where else to go, Esmeralda grabbed a dark blue cloak that was hung out to dry as well as a lit pipe that was left carelessly on the sill of an open window. Djali seemed to know exactly what she was thinking and leapt onto Esmeralda's back. The gypsy then wrapped the cloak around them both and sank into a corner and both of them bent their heads low so that the hood would cover their face. She put the pipe in Djali's mouth and left the hat in front of her, making her to look like an old beggar. She was able to do this just in time as the soldiers were now rounding the corner.

"Make way! Make way for the Captain!"

"Go on! Make way!"

Esmeralda curled up more as the Captain passed her, fear of being recognized made her heart pound madly in her chest. She did not, however, expect him to drop a few of the coins that had fallen back into the hat.

As soon as she was sure that he was a good distance away, she pulled off the hood and she and Djali stared after the man curiously. _What in the world was that about_?

Clopin, Aimee and Tatianna came out of their hiding place and walked to Esmeralda just as she was standing up and Djali jumped off.

"Do you think he knew it was you?" Aimee asked, truly perplexed by this newcomer's behavior.

Esmeralda put out the pipe and picked up the hat and rolled them both up in the cloak, making sure it was secure, then tucked it safely under her arm. "I honestly have no idea."

"If he did why didn't he expose you?" Tatianna asked as she put her hand to her chin in thought, the other resting on her hip.

"I don't trust him." Clopin said suddenly and with such a serious tone that all three girls had to look at him to make sure that it was truly him that spoke.

"Clopin?" Aimee put her hand to her his arm, a concerned tone in her voice. Rarely had she seen such a dark expression on his usually cheerful face. Could it be because that was the very man who was enchanted by Esmeralda not too long ago? No…no that couldn't be it. Other men have done the same and never did he regard them with such distrust.

"What do you mean?" Tatianna asked, also surprised by the distrust in Clopin's brown eyes. True the man was a soldier, the Captain at that! But she could already see that there was something quite different about this particular soldier.

Clopin seemed to be in some sort of trance as he watched the Captain leave, heading straight towards The Palace of Justice.

After a few moments of silence, Esmeralda spoke up. "Clopin?"

That seemed to have snapped him out of his trance-like state and he shook his head before looking to Esmeralda. "Hmm?"

"Why don't you trust him?" Tatianna asked again.

He let out a long sigh and shrugged as he ran his hand through his hair. "I can't explain it…his aura just seems very off-putting. I see him and I see trouble. I don't know how else to put it."

Esmeralda thought about that as she directed her attention back towards where the Captain had disappeared to. It was rare for her childhood friend to be so quick to judge someone, even if that "someone" was a soldier. Perhaps it was because he was the newly appointed Captain of the Guard? She shook her head, not wanting to think about it any longer. She turned towards her friends and smiled, "We still have time before we have to help with the Festival of Fools. Let's dance a little bit more."

To the girls' relief, Clopin smiled and nodded eagerly. "Yes let's!" With the wide grin back on his face, the girls smiled as he led them to another part of the city to set up their next stage.

As the music played and their bodies swayed to the music, the tension from earlier had slowly become forgotten. They managed to earn a few more coins before having to wrap up and get ready for the Festival. It wasn't until while she was getting dressed did Esmeralda realize that the blonde hair and blue eyes of the Captain had begun to dig up a long forgotten memory. She frowned in confusion, trying hard to bring that memory to light. But no matter what she did, she just could not grasp it.

She sighed as she brushed her hair out and spoke out loud, "Oh well. I'll find out eventually." And so she pushed it aside, and began preparing for the big show.

* * *

**Well there it is! Not much of an edit but there were small errors I found that just ticked me off and I had to fix them. PLEASE REVIEW!**


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